To bee, or not to bee

Pollinators are in decline globally but are responsible for the production of a third of our food crops and 70% of New Zealand native flora.

You probably know a lot about the world's most famous pollinator, the honeybee, a managed insect used mainly for crop pollination. You might not realise that we have wild pollinators such as native bees and hoverflies that can play an equally important role in our ecosystem. A better understanding and the promotion of wild pollinators in Christchurch will benefit our biodiversity, our food, our gardens and our native plants.

Help us out by observing pollinators and plants in your garden between October and December. Your data will help us understand how to attract the most diverse range of pollinators to Christchurch gardens and will also assist Plant and Food in their pollination research!